Gindalbie signs on as PMs pass

A warning to all future prime ministerial aspirants, and perhaps even Julia Gillard: never get involved in a major contract signing ceremony with Gindalbie Metals.

Managing director Garret Dixon was musing to shareholders at yesterday’s general meeting about some of the biggest deals the company has been involved in. These included the ground-breaking joint-venture signing with Chinese partner Ansteel in front of Chinese President Hu Jintao and then PM John Howard during APEC 2007.

Then there was last week’s inking of a big loan from Chinese banks, witnessed by the Middle Kingdom’s rising star Xi Jinping and then PM Kevin Rudd.

Picking up the trend here?

Dixon also had some advice for sinophiles, saying that although 10 separate agreements were signed last week in front of the man tipped to be China’s next leader, the “real ones" were always at the pointy end.

“Ours was signed two or three ahead of Andrew Forrest’s," Dixon said. “There’s not many days you get in front of Twiggy."